Jesus asks, "Ralph, Do You Love Me?"
I recently posted that my job situation is changing again and have been asking myself the question, "Where's my joy?" I was at a men's Bible study today that discussed John 5:1-15 (Jesus feeds the 5000) where we learn alot about ourselves, but more importantly, we learn alot about Jesus.
To summarize, Jesus was followed out to the desert by 5000 men, not counting women and children. Their pursuit of Jesus was mostly out of their desire to see signs and wonders performed (see John 4:48), in other words, what Jesus could do for them. When Jesus asked Philip where they could buy bread to feed all these people, He already knew what He was going to do. His question was to test Philip's faith and demonstrate His sufficiency to know our needs and meet them.
This is the third time in three years that I've been laid off. I keep trying to provide for my family under my own strength when I need to be fully reliant on God. Even today I started to grieve over the loss of my comfort zone (steady employment/income/benefits) and the 'scary' position of trusting God day to day when I realized what that meant: I was basically saying that I was adequate and God was not. How upside down is that?!?
The Bible study included the passage from I Peter 5:6-11
I was really moved by this passage when I got blessed with more. John 21:15-19 is the account of Jesus, after the resurrection, asking Peter three times, "Do you love me?" with Peter's replies. What a thing to ask, after Peter denied Christ before his crucifixion and death. What shame Peter must have felt being asked that, but having been restored to fellowship with Christ, what joy to be able to prove our love!
Is it coincidence that this is the third time I'm being laid off? Do I hear Jesus asking me, "Ralph, do you love Me?" each time? Yes! I recognize that after the first one, I loved myself more than anyone around me, let alone Jesus! After the second one, I loved others a little more, and Jesus a little more, but when it came down to it, my focus was still on poor me...
Maybe this third layoff is like Jesus asking me the third time, "Ralph, do you love Me?" Did Peter finally realize that he could not love Jesus and that it was only through Jesus that he could? Do I realize that the only way I can trust Jesus completely and love Him fully is throught Him? I believe the answer is, "Yes! I do!" I am inadequate; however, in Christ, I am more than adequate! From II Peter 1:3 "According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:" That passage goes on to describe how these processes that God prepares for us (see James 1:2-12) are to prove us and transform us to be more like Christ, all for His glory!
To summarize, Jesus was followed out to the desert by 5000 men, not counting women and children. Their pursuit of Jesus was mostly out of their desire to see signs and wonders performed (see John 4:48), in other words, what Jesus could do for them. When Jesus asked Philip where they could buy bread to feed all these people, He already knew what He was going to do. His question was to test Philip's faith and demonstrate His sufficiency to know our needs and meet them.
This is the third time in three years that I've been laid off. I keep trying to provide for my family under my own strength when I need to be fully reliant on God. Even today I started to grieve over the loss of my comfort zone (steady employment/income/benefits) and the 'scary' position of trusting God day to day when I realized what that meant: I was basically saying that I was adequate and God was not. How upside down is that?!?
The Bible study included the passage from I Peter 5:6-11
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:Talk about a timely passage! Am I willing to humble myself and place myself completely under His care? There's a promise attached to that with a lesson in patience built in: 'He may exalt you in due time' (vs. 6) and 'ye have suffered a while' (vs. 9). I also took note of the warning in verse 8 -- it's times like these that I am the most vulnerable. The words 'sober' and 'vigilant' call me to stay focussed on God. Verse 9 also gives me encouragement as well as a lesson in pride -- I'm not the only one who's ever gone through what I'm going through (e.g., Elijah and the remnant of priests). Verse 10 lifts me up, and parallel to James 1:2, shows me God's purpose for all of the things that happen to me, with verse 11 being the over-arching purpose: God's Glory!7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
I was really moved by this passage when I got blessed with more. John 21:15-19 is the account of Jesus, after the resurrection, asking Peter three times, "Do you love me?" with Peter's replies. What a thing to ask, after Peter denied Christ before his crucifixion and death. What shame Peter must have felt being asked that, but having been restored to fellowship with Christ, what joy to be able to prove our love!
Is it coincidence that this is the third time I'm being laid off? Do I hear Jesus asking me, "Ralph, do you love Me?" each time? Yes! I recognize that after the first one, I loved myself more than anyone around me, let alone Jesus! After the second one, I loved others a little more, and Jesus a little more, but when it came down to it, my focus was still on poor me...
Maybe this third layoff is like Jesus asking me the third time, "Ralph, do you love Me?" Did Peter finally realize that he could not love Jesus and that it was only through Jesus that he could? Do I realize that the only way I can trust Jesus completely and love Him fully is throught Him? I believe the answer is, "Yes! I do!" I am inadequate; however, in Christ, I am more than adequate! From II Peter 1:3 "According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:" That passage goes on to describe how these processes that God prepares for us (see James 1:2-12) are to prove us and transform us to be more like Christ, all for His glory!
posted by RalphC at
12:04 PM
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